Easy Breezy Tasty Spinach

Some of the most memorable dishes I’ve eaten have also been the simplest, it doesn’t take a gazillion techniques and ingredients to make a dish pop. So here’s my take on simple wilted baby spinach with garlic and olive oil, except I’ve added just a couple of things here and there to make it really shine. The whole thing shouldn’t take longer than 15mins with prep.

Serves as a side dish for 4 persons

500g of baby spinach leaves

6 medium to large button mushrooms sliced into fours or fives

3-4 tbsp of olive oil

2 tsp of dried and crushed chili flakes (adjust quantity to taste)

3 chopped garlic cloves

Juice of a quarter of a lemon

Zest of a quarter of a lemon

2 tbsp of freshly grated parmesan cheese

In a large pan heat the olive oil on a medium heat. Add the garlic and chili and heat for a couple of minutes until the garlic just about starts to colour. Add the mushrooms and saute together for about 5-7mins until the mushrooms brown nicely.

Once the mushrooms are at the desired done-ness, add the spinach, you may need to place them in batches, if you do, make sure to keep the newest placed leaves at the bottom of the pan (using tongs here works best) just to make sure nothing gets overcooked. Toss the spinach around for about 3minutes, until they release most of their moisture but still retain some freshness and their colour (the picture above shows my desired level of done-ness). While the spinach cooks, mix in the lemon juice and toss all ingredients well to make sure they mix properly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Using tongs, plate the spinach, drizzle with some olive oil (just about 1 tbsp) and some of the pan juices. Sprinkle the lemon zest and the parmesan et voila, ready to eat!